The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing printed products having continuously rotating receiving compartments arranged one behind the other. The receiving compartments are separated by transversely extending walls and each compartment has an opening through which printed products are deposited from a belt conveyors.
An apparatus of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No 3,951,399 and the corresponding DE-A-24 47 336. This apparatus includes receiving compartments that are arranged in the manner of a drum around a common horizontal axis of rotation. The receiving compartments are separated from one another by wall elements running in the direction of the axis of rotation. Each receiving compartment includes an opening that is on the outside, as seen in the radial direction. Printed products can be introduced into the receiving compartments through these openings. The discharge end of a belt conveyor is arranged above the axis of rotation. The discharge end of the belt conveyor is located on the side of a vertical plane extending through said axis of rotation, that the receiving conveyors are moving in the direction from top to bottom. Printed products are fed along the belt conveyor in an approximately horizontal direction to the discharge end in an imbricated formation in which each printed product rests on the preceding printed product. At the discharge end, each printed product is discharged from the belt conveyor, leading edge first, and falls through the opening into the receiving compartment that is moving past the discharge end. This prior art apparatus relies on the spacing between the leading edges of successive printed products being kept constant, within narrow limits, to insure that one printed product is fed to each receiving compartment moving past the discharge end. The feed of the printed products must be at least approximately synchronized with the drive of the receiving compartments.
Another apparatus of this general type is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,735,406 and the corresponding DE-A-36 16 566. This drum like collecting apparatus includes a plurality of carriers that rotate around a common axis of rotation and are arranged at regular intervals around the axis of rotation in the circumferential direction. In feeding sections of the drum-like collecting apparatus, each carrier has a corresponding pocket-like receiving compartment that is on the outside of the carrier, as seen in the radial direction. The pocket-like receiving compartments rotate around the axis of rotation with the carrier. The pocket-like receiving compartments include a first wall element that extends generally radially and parallel to the axis of rotation and a second wall element that precedes the first wall element in the direction of rotation. The wall elements taper in the form of a wedge toward the carrier. A belt conveyor extends generally radially with respect to the axis of rotation. The openings of the pocket-like receiving compartments move past the discharge end of said belt conveyor with respect to a vertical plane that extends through the axis of rotation, on that side in which the pocket-like receiving compartments are moving from bottom to top. Printed products are arranged on the belt conveyor in an imbricated formation in which the printed products rest on the respectively following printed product, as seen in the feeding direction. The belt conveyor deposits into each pocket-like receiving compartment a folded printed product with that end in front that is located opposite the fold. The following wall element of the pocket-like receiving compartments raise the printed product up from the imbricated stream. Upon further rotation of the pocket-like receiving compartments, the printed product slides inward in the radial direction until it rests with its leading edge against a shoulder of an expansion drum. By rotation of the expansion drum, along with interaction with a gripper, the printed product is drawn downwards and opened and pushed over the carrier, and the printed product falls onto the carrier under the force of gravity. In this prior art apparatus, it is necessary for the spacing between the leading edges of successive printed products to be kept within narrow limits. Moreover, the overlapping of the printed products in the imbricated formation must be small in order that they can be conveyed into the pocket-like receiving compartment, by the belt conveyor, to such an extent that they do not fall out of the pocket-like receiving compartments when they are raised up from the imbricated formation. These limitations of the prior art apparatus requires large openings in the pocket-like receiving compartments, as seen in the circumferential direction, that, in turn, restricts the possible number of receiving compartments when using the same diameter of processing drum.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an apparatus of this type that can operate reliably to receive a printed product in each receiving compartment through relatively small openings under operating conditions in which the leading edges of the successive printed products are not contained within narrow limits.